Pneumatic player-piano action



A. L. COLLGNON.

PNEUMATiC PLAYER PIANO ACTION. APPLxcATloN msn MARJze. 1919.

A. L. COLLIGNON.

PNUMATIC PLAYER PIANO ACTION.

APPLICATION HLED MAR. 26. Isls.

1,363,457. Patented Dec. 28, 1920;

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ALBERT L. COLLIGNGN, F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PNEULEATIC lLAYER-PIANO ACTION.

Specification of Letters Iatent.

Patented Dec. 28, 1920.

Application led March 26, 1919. Serial No. 285,350.

T 0 all/0710717425 may concern:

Be it known that l, ALBERT L. CoLLTGNoN,

a citizen et the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cool; and vState ci: Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Player- Piano Actions, of which the following is a speciication.

l-.ly invention relates to improvements in pneumatic player piano actions, and particularly refers to the usual type of pneumatic action in which there is a tracker bar provided with a series of openings connected by means ot suitable tubing to a series et vacuum operated pneumatics.

The principal objects of my invention are to provide an improved construction in which necessary adjustments may be readily made to vary the stroke ot the operative parts comprising the action; te provide imw proved means for taking up the slack or lost motion in the various functional parts; to provide a construction in which the power controlling means, such as a valve actuating member may be separated or removed the apparatus tor inspection or repair; to provide improved means tor moiuiting the various functional parts ot the apparatus so as to facilitate repair or adjustment without disturbing other parts or" the mechanism and without destroying or disabling parts which are r moved; to provide a construction which shall maintain its air tight character and shall remain fully operative and eilicient over a long period of years without the necessity of making irequent adjustments or repairs; to provide means automatically operative to prevent undue liriction of the paper web on the tracker bar dur:` the times when the vacuum pressure is increased to emphasize p rtions oit the composition which is being rende ed; to provide an improved construction whereby access may readily be obtained to the bleed or vent arrangement; to provide a construction which shall be simple and inexpensive in `csigii and manufacture while being economi-sal and efficient to maintain and operand, in genera-, to provide an improved truction et the character referred to.

the drawings accompanying this speci- .ea ion and illustrating a prete-fred embodr ent et my invention, Figure 1 a vertical t`on taken through the 'functional or op erative parte of the apparatus; Fig. 2 is a iront elevation ot the apparatus, ertain ln t `iai-:ts being shown in section better to illusrate the construction7 and Fig. 3 is a perpective view oit the valve chest or housing showing detached therefrom the various parts composing the valve seat and guide.

Referring new to the drawings, 10 and 11 represent the usual stickers which operate the hammers of the piano. Said stickers 1G and 11 are respectively operated by means ot upper and lower pneumatics 12 and 13, the pneumatics 12 being arranged in a horizontal or transversely extending series or bank above a similar series oit the pneumatics 13. inasmuch as the upper U) me 'pneumatics 12 and the lower pneumatics 13 are precisely similar in their mechanical construction and in operation, it will be necessary to describe only one set ot parts which comprise a complete operating unit ior one of the pneumatics.

It will be observed that each ot the pneumatics comprises a bellows 14 of thin rubber cloth or other suitable material, said bellows being connected between the stationary base part 15 of the pneumatic and the movable top board 1G. Said top board 1G is provided at each end with an extension, the :iront extension 17 serving to operate a sticker by means ot a projection 18 on the lattern under which projection the tip oit the extension 17 projects. It will be obvious that when the bellows of the pneumatic collapses as shown in the lower pneumatic in Fig. 1? the sticker will be elevated. lt will be understood that there is a hammer actuated by each of the stickers, as is customary.

In order to adjust the stroke of the sticker the tail extension 19 of the top board 16 of the pneumatic is equipped with a depending button 2O adjustably secured to said extension 19 by means oit an adjusting screw 21, said adjusting screw 21 being provided with a flattened end portion 22 whereby it may be readily turned so as to lower or raise the button 2O secured upon the lower end of the said screw 21. rEhe lower iace ot the regulating button 2O is equipped with a suitable ielt washer 23 which is arranged to engage the flattened side 24 ot a stop screw 25 inserted in the rear of lthe base board 15 et the pneun'iatic.

Similarly to adjust the slack or lost motion between the sticker and the operating linger or extension 17 ot the pneun'iatic, l equip said front extension 17 with -a regulating button 26 similar to the regulating butl ton 20, said regulating button 26 engaging the flattened end of a stop screw 2.7 inserted in the front end of the base board l5. lt is obvious that by turning the screw 28 the button 26 may loe lowered or raised so as to take up or adjust the lost motion between the sticker and the pneumatic in substantially the same way in which the stroke of the device may be varied by means of the button adjusting screw 2l at the rear of the pneumatic. t will be observed that the ends of the adjusting screws 2l and 28 are in such a position that they are accessible at all times for adjustment purposes and that it is unnecessary to tamper with or remove any parts of the action in order to make such adjustment.

The pneumatics and other parts of the piano action are supported by a horizontal transversely extending wind or vacuum channel, which channel is preferably formed of a length of sheet metal folded to form a U or a J shape in cross-section, as shown in F ig. l. As showm the upper horizontal flange or fold 29 of the strip constitutes the upper wall of the channel and the lower inclined fold 30 constitutes the opposite or lower wall of the channel, the front wall of which is formed by a member 3l., removable for a purpose which will be described later. Said member 3l may extend throughout the entire length of the wind channel 82, or, if desired, it may be made sectional so as to serve less than the entire number or series of pneumatics supported by each of the wind channels 32, in which case each section may be removed independently. ln order to make the sides 29 and 230 of the channel capable of resiliently expanding to admit the member 3l when assembling` the device, the rear bend 33 may, if desired7 be somewhat reduced in thickness so that the flexing of the metal will take place largely in the rear, thereby maintaining the top wall of the channel substantially flat. It is, of course, understood that suitable flexible packing elements 34 and 35 are inserted between the member 3l and the edges of the channel in order to maintain the joints air tight, the edges of the channel being dra-wn together by means of suitable screws 36 extending entirely through the top flange 29 and the member 3l and screwing into tapped holes in the front edge of the bottom flange 80.

The pneumatic is not directly secured to the top of the channel 29, but is carried by the valve housing 37 which is directly mount ed upon and secured to the top liange 29 of the channel. Said valve housing 37 comprises an integral casting (as shown best in Fig. 3), preferably of some metal which is suitable for die casting, and is secured to the top of the channel by means of a set of three mounting screws, two of which are indicated at 38 and 39 in Fig. l. rlhe front of said valve housing 37 has a vertical face on which is a bushing like projection l0 inserted in an aperture tl drilled in the com plementary face Ll2 formed in the base board of the pneumatic by cutting the front thereof to lit over the valve chest B7. lf he bushing 40 is apertured as shown at -t3 and the base board l5 is apertured as shown at dit in order to furnish an air passage between the bellows 14 and the interior l5 of the valve chest. 'pair of screws #1G extending horizontally through the rear portion of the base board l5 from the rear to the front thereof, are threaded into holes -lT tapped in the rear face of the housing- 3T, and serve as means for securing and clampingthe pneumatic to and in air tight engagement with the valve housing)l ln order to improve the seal and prevent leaks it will be understood that suitable rubber gaskets may be interposed between the casting 57 and the base :42 of the pneumatic base board l5. In the present instance such upper gasket may consist of a pair of folds of the same piece of material which is employed for the hellows 14.

l will now describe the construction of thal valve mechanism and associated parts.

Referring to the drawings, it will be ob served that the valve 41S. which may be constructed of wood or other light material is provided with integral upper and lower ei:- tensions or stems 49 and 50. rl`he upper eX- tension 49 of the valve may be guided in a small plate or insert 5l secured in the under side of the front part of the base board l5 and underlyingan aperture 52 in said base board. The aperture 52 is, of course, large enough to prevent interference with the upper end of the valve stem 49 when the valve rises. rlhe lower end of the falve stem is also guided in a small plate or strap guide which is located below the valve and ez;- tends across and down an opening 54 in the top flange 29 of the channel 32.

The valve e8 provided with an upper facing 55 and a lower facing 5G of leather or other suitable material, which cooperate respectively with valve seats at the top and bottom of the valve housing. fl he upper valve seat 57, surrounds an aperture 5S leading to the atmosphere through the slots 59, GO, and 6l in the top of the valve casting 3i'. the valve being` normally not in engagement with the said upper slat 57, unless the sticker is being operated. The lower valve seat comprises the upper surta ce of the metal washer' G2, the under side of which is notched out slightly, as shown at G8, in order to admit the upwardly offset ends 6% of the valve guide 58, thereby holding said valve guide Gil securely in position. The said seat washer G2 is of the proper diameter to enter a recess bored in the under face of the valve lll casting 37, a suitable gasket being interposed between the bottom of the recess and the top of the washer 62 in order to furnish the necessary seal and prevent leaks. It will also be understood that a gasket 66 of leather or other suitable material is interposed between the casting 37 and the flange 29 of the channel so as to prevent a leak existing in the joint between said parts.

The valve actuating member, in this instance the pouch 67, is carried by an extension 68 of the member 31, which may be called the pouch board. Said pouch 67. which may be of leather or other similar material, extends over the shallow cylindrical pouch recess or cavity 69 and carries a small button 70 of cork or other suitable material which is located directly undei` the lower end 50 of the valve stem. It will be observed by reference to the upper pneumatic shown in Fig. 1, that the top plane of the pouch is located slightly below the lower end 50 of the said valve stem sc that whenever it is desired to remove the pouch board such removal may be readil effected by simply withdrawing the pouch board toward the front, the valve not being affected. The pouch cavity 69 is connected to the corresponding hole in the tracker bai` of the piano, by means of a exible trackei tube 71 fitted over an L-shaped pipe bend 72, a horizontal limb of which enters an aperture 73 communicating with the recess 69 through a vertically drilled aperture 74.

I will now describe the means for venting or bleeding the tracker tubes 7l. @rdinarily such venting is effected by a small leak orifice which forms an obstructed or bleed connection between the vacuum in the wind channel and the tracker tubes so that under normal conditions the tracker tubes contain air having substantially the same degree of vacuum as is present in the main wind channel. Such an arrangement is open to the objection that when the suction in the channels is increased in order to emphasize a certain part of the musical composition which is being rendered on the piano. the vacuum effected in the tracker tubes is correspondingly increased, which increase causes the` paper web to press very tightly against the tracker bar, producing excessive friction and jumps in the continuous movement of the web.

In my improved arrangement the tracker tube 71 is bled or vented into an intermediate vacuum or wind channel the air in which, by means of an automatic regulating apparatus is maintained at a definite and uniform vacuum pressure, To this end I interpose in the length of each of the tracker tubes 71 a metallic, vertically extending bleed section 75 rigidly supported in an aperture vertically, drilled in a transversely extending horizontal member 76.

Said member 76 is of sufficient length to accommodate all of the bleed sections 75 and is grooved out, as shown at 7 7, at the rear thereof, to form a vent duct or chamber, the rear wall of which comprises the back plate 78. It will of course be understood that a suitable packing element 7 9 is inserted between the vent housing` 76 and. the back plate 78 in order to prevent loss of vacuum due to leaks.

The vent channel 77 is connected to one of the main wind channels through a governing pneumatic or bellows designated as 80. Said governor pneumatic comprises a baseboard 81 suitably supported on the vent member 76 and having an aperture or passage 82 .formed therein and giving communication between the vent duct 77 and the interior of the bellows. The top board 88 of the regulator pneumatic is normally elevated by means of a coil spring` 84 connected between a stationary hooked pin 85 and an adjusting screw 86 carried in the end or small arm or plate 87 extending from the pivotal end of the top board 83.

lithin the interior of the regulator bellows there is a wind box 88 mounted on the baseboard 81 of the pneumatic and having` a rectangular chamber or cavity 89 which is connected with one of the main wind channels 82 by a nipple or short tube se tion 90 and exible tubing 91. The cavity 89 in the wind box 88 is otherwise closedL with the exception of a valve opening 92 opening laterally through one of the vertical walls of the wind box into the interior of the bellows. Said opening` is capable of being closed by means of a kinre valve 93 arranged to sweep over said opening 92 and pivotally supported on theipin 94; secured in the side of the wind box 88. The upper side of the knife valve 93 is formed with a semi-circular projection 95 arranged to be engaged by the under side of the top board 83 of the regulator pneumatic, and said valve member 93 is normally raised into engagement with said top board by means of a small retraction spring 96, one end of which is hooked under the knife valve as shown at 97 and, the otheil is passed around a pin 98.

Each of the bleed sections 75 is individually vented into the main vent duct 77 bv means of any desired form of vent cups. one of which is indicated at 99 in Fig. 1, said vent cup being pressed into a horizontal aperture 100 communicating with the tube section 7 5 and having the usual vent orifice 101. It will be observed that whenever occasion arises to clean or repair the vent cup or cups, access may be obtained by simply removing the back plate 78 a Uer taking out the securing screws 192.

--I will now describe the operation of the above described parts. It will be understood that suitablev vacuum-producing arrangements, such as a motor driven pump or a foot-operated bellows, is connected to the usual apparatus for regulating thev vacuum pressure, it being also understood that by means of manually operated keys or other devices the vacuum pressure which is conducted to the main wind channels 32 through the pipes 75, may be varied at will in 4order to produce the desired variations in the loudness or volume of the music; hence variations will exist in the vacuum pressure contained in the wind channels 32, tube 91, bushing 90 and cavity 89 in-the wind box S8.4 Said variations and pressure will not, however, be transmitted to the vent box or channel 77 because whenever the` vacuumtends to increase within the bellows 80, pressure of the atmosphere will depress the top board 83 of thebellows S0 against the tension of the springs 84 and 96, thus resulting in a closing or a partialr closing'of the valve opening 92. Therefore, the degree of vacuum in the main vent duct 77 will be substantially uniform regardless of variations in the main vacuum which operatesthe note pneumatics.

The note pneumatics 1213 operate inY substantially the same manner as in any standard player piano action. When the tracker tube 71 is opened to the atmosphere by reason of one of the note apertures in the traveling paper web registering with the corresponding aperture in the tracker bar, air rushing down the tracker tube 71 and into the pouch cavity 69 will raise the pouch 67 and elevate the valve 48. Thereupon the opening in the upper valve seat 57 will be closed, thereby preventing atmospheric air from entering the bellows of the note pneumatic; while at the same time the valve will be raised off the lower valve seat connecting the vacuum channel 32'with the interior of the bellows; hence the top board 1'6 of the pneumatic will snap down into thev position shown Vin the lower part of Fig.V 1 and the sticker will be operated.

Whilel the opening in the tracker bar is exposed to the atmosphere, the top board will be maintained in pressed condition and the note will be held. As soon, however, as the paper web covers the hold in the tracker bar, the air in the tracker tube 71 will be vented into the vent channel 77 through the bleed orifice 101, and the pouch cavity 69 will be exhausted until it contains insulticient pressure to hold upthe pouch 67 and the valve 48. The valve will then drop from the upper to the lower seat, allowing atmospheric air to enter the bellows 14 and cuttingoff its communication with the vacuum channel 32.

The detailed description of the various parts is not. intended Y to .Y be., any limitation upon the scope ofthe invention, which is to be determined by reference to the appended claims, construing the latter as broadly as possible consistentwith the state of the art.

I claim:

1. In a pneumatic player piano the combination of a transverse series of sticker actuating pneumatics, a transversely extending wind channel common to said series of pneumatics, a mounting removably inserted in and closing one side of said channel, and a valve actuating member carried by said mounting.

2. In a pneumatic player piano action, the combination with anexhaust chamber and a sticker actuating pneumatic thereabove, of a valve housing detachable from and interposed between the exhaust chamber and pneumatic and containing a valve for controlling communication therebetween.

In a pneumatic player piano action, the combination with an exhaust chamber and a sticker actuating pneumatic of a. valve housing interposed therebetween and independently removable therefrom, said valve housing containing a valve controlling communication between the exhaust chamber and the pneumatic.

et. In a pneumatic player piano action, the combination of an exhaust chamber hav-- ing a valve housing detachably mounted thereon and containing a valve for controlling the inlet to the exhaust chamber, and a sticker actuating pneumatic detachably mounted on the housing and communicating through the valve housing with the exhaust chamber.

In a pneumatic player piano action, the combination of an exhaust conduit comprising a plate bent in a U-shape, a mounting inserted in and closing the open end of the til-shaped plate, a valve housing mounted on one of the arms of the U-shaped plate,

a sticker actuating pneumatic controlled by said valve, and means on the aforesaid mounting for regulating the operation of the valve.

6. A pneumatic player action comprising a transversely extending support, a pneumatic bellows detach ably mounted on top of said support and communicating therewith, a valve housing detachably interposed between the support and bellows and having a valve for controlling communication therebetween, a wind channel under said support, a pouch board removably inserted in said channel. a valve actuating member carried by' said pouch board and means extending through said support whereby said valve actuating member may actuate said valve` said means being secured to said valve and extending through said support.

7. A pneumatic pianoaction.comprising a. valve,A housing having av valve containing cavity therein, a sticker-actuating bellows superposed above and provided with al baseboard detachably secured to said valve housing, said cavity communicating with said bellows, said valve housing being provided with upper and lower openings and upper and lower valve seats surrounding said openings, the upper opening leading to the atmosphere, a wind channel below said valve housing and provided with a wind conduit communicating with said lower opening, and a member detachably secured in said wind channel and provided with means for actuating said valve.

8. In a pneumatic player piano action, the combination of an exhaust chamber and a sticker actuating pneumatic mounted side by side and having a recess therebetween and a valve housing mounted in said recess so as to be independently removable from the exhaust chamber` and sticker actuating pneumatic and provided with a valve for controlling communication between the exhaust chamber andthe sticker pneumatic.

9. A pneumatic player action comprising a row of sticker actuating pneumatics, a support therefor comprising a wind channel, a valve housing carried by said wind channel, a valve in said valve housing provided with an operating stem extending into said channel, a pouch board removably secured in, and forming a side closure of the said channel, said pouch board having an inner extension the upper surface of which is located below said valve stem, and a pouch on said board provided with a valve actuating button separated from and adapter. to elevate said stem.

10. In a pneumatic player action, the combination with a sticker, of a pneumatic for operating the sticker, comprising a fixed base, a member pivoted at one end of the base, a bellows interposed between the pivoted member and base for operating the former, and an operating arm on the movable member at the opposite side of the pivot from the bellows engaging and operating the sticker.

11. In a pneumatic player piano action, the combination of a pneumatic comprising an elongated stationary base and a corresponding member pivoted thereto at one end. a bellows interposed between said base and member, a sticker operated by the member, and adjustable means at each end of the pneumatic serving to stop the opening and closing movements of the bellows.

l2. In a pneumatic player action. the combination of a horizontally extending series of penumatics, a horizontal vacuum chamber extending below said pneumatics ,and provided with an upper wall on which said pneumatics are mounted and provided with a lower wall resiliently connected to said upper wall, a valve operating member in said channel, and a support for said mein ber insertible between said walls.

i3. In a pneumatic player action, the conibination oit a horizon-ally extending series oi pneumatics, a horizontal vacuum chamber extending below said pneumatics and provided with an upper wall on which said pneumatics are mounted and provided with a lower wall. resiliently connected to said upper wall, a valve operating member in said channel, and a. support for said member insertible between said walls, the arrangement including means for simultaneously clamping said support into tight-fitting engagement with both oi' said walls.

-l. In player mechanism of the class described, the combination of a pneumatically operated device, an exhaust-chamber in which the degree of exhaustion is varied, connections for operating said device by the pressure ot' the exhaust chamber, means for timing the operation of the device thereby, and automatically operated means connected with the exhaust chamber for maintaining a uniform condition of pressure on said means with a variable degree of exhaustion in the exhaust chamber.

l5. In a player acticn, the combiantion of a tracker tube, a pneumatically operated player mechanism communicating with a variably exhausted chamber, a valve mechanism controlled by the degree of vacuity in the tracker tube for regulating communication between the variably exhausted chamber and the pneumatic player mechanism, and means connecting the variably exhausted chamber with the tracker tube whereby a uniform degree of vacuity is maintained in the tracker tube by a variable degree of exhaustion in said chamber.

16. In a player action, the combination of' a plurality of pneumatically operated player mechanisms, a plurality of tracker tubes for controlling said mechanisms, a main vacuum chamber adapted to be varyingly exhausted to diminish or intensify the action of the pneumatic player mechanism, an auxiliary vacuum chamber connected with the tracker tubes `lor exhausting the air therefrom, and exhausting means for the auxiliary vacuum chamber suitably connected with the main vacuum chamber so that a uniform degree of vacuity is maintained in the former by a varying degree ci vacuity in the latter.

17. In a pneumaticallv operated player mechanism, pneumatically operated means for timing the operation ot said mechanism, a chamber from which the air is variably exhausted so as to increase or diminish the intensity of the action of the pneumatically operated mechanism. means connecting said chamber with the aforesaid pneumatically operated means to exhaust the air therefrom and having a pressure regulator whereby valve mechanism controlled by the diaphragm, and a tracker tube havingr uninterrupted Communication with the chamber at the other side of the diaphragm and provided with means for exhausting the air therefrom.

ALBERT L. COLLIGNON. 

